Home
by torontokid2003
Summary: Reviews of episodes, missing scenes, and even AU fic, all disguised as fiction. Very much a stream of consciousness type of thing. Rating is changing to a T due to the use of the F word in chapter 5.
1. Chapter 1 - Where Is Home

Dominion

by torontokid2003

Chapter 1 _Where Is Home?_

Michael stared at the distant walls of Vega. They gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Pillars of light erupted from the top of the walls, their light faint against the sun but soon they would kiss the stars. A pang of homesickness seized him. He hadn't realized, oh Father, he hadn't realized how much he missed the city.

Alex and Noma's garrulous conversation filled the air, the patter of birds blended in, the sleepy cries of night insects joined the harmony. For the briefest of moments it all faded away and he walked the paths of Home.

Noma hissed beside him. The song faded and the dark closed in. He looked over at her, saw pain in her eyes. Alex turned to comfort her. Two charges in his care. Get them to safety, or at least get Alex to safety. Alex was human and the city a sanctuary for humanity.

What would the city offer Noma and an archangel?

The last he flew the skies above Vega, humanity practiced atrocities against angels. He'd looked into the face of Louis and seen betrayal and oh, such barbarity. But he needed rest and time to heal. He still ached from his wounds and Lyrae's torture.

Later, when the city's guard rescued him and then applauded, tired beyond reason, he nearly wept in relief.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Conversation

Dominion

by torontokid2003

Chapter 2 _The Conversation, And Then The Week, That Went Downhill_

Later, Michael realized their plan was obvious. Lyrae attempted to possess Gabriel by breaking Gabriel's spirit. Lucifer attempted to possess Michael. Wearing familiar faces, they would conquer the humans and the angels with ease.

"Gabriel. They are in league with each other. Lyrae attempted to possess your body?"

Gabriel nodded.

"I believe Lucifer attempted the same with me. He almost ..." Michael faltered for a moment. Lucifer came so close to convincing him to kill himself.

"Michael?" Gabriel asked, voice full of concern.

"He first weakened me, before the walls of Vega." Michael remembered being tired and longing for Home. "Then he separated my soul from my body. He took my soul to Mallory, and tried to convince me to kill my spirit."

"Michael, how?"

"I don't know how he did it," Michael answered. "If Lucifer was powerful enough to separate my soul, he should have been able to possess my body at that point. Why didn't he?"

"He knew Alex could evict him?"

"Maybe. If Alex realized I wasn't myself."

"Alex won't be able to evict Lucifer, or the Dyad for that matter."

Hearing his name, Alex wandered over. "To be a Dyad, both souls co-exist. The human gives permission ..."

"Ah," Gabriel exclaimed. "There you have it." He waved a hand at Alex as he looked at Michael. "Lucifer needed your permission. If you killed your own soul, that's the same as giving permission."

Michael didn't look convinced. "We're missing something."

"How did your big brother try to convince you to kill your soul?" Alex asked, intent on bringing the conversation back on topic. Be reasonable. He could do reasonable, he told himself, despite how mad the conversation made him.

"He said he would allow the fire to die in Mallory. The people of Mallory would-"

"-die," finished Gabriel. "Michael, dying is what people do! I told you the humans would be your undoing!"

"It didn't happen," replied Michael, torn between anger and embarrassment. Gabriel stifled a sigh. Embarrassment won. Michael ducked his head. "I won the card game."

"A card game!" yelled Gabriel at the same time Alex yelled, "You bet your life on a card game?"

"Texas hold 'em?" The pink flush to Michael's ears told Alex his guess was correct. "That's it, you're grounded. No flying for a week."


	3. Chapter 3 - Confrontation

Dominion by torontokid2003

Chapter 3 _Confrontation, Or How I Think The Finale Should Go_

Lucifer's persuasive thoughts filled the air. This is Home. Home is here, now, and there is no Father to gainsay us, no rebuke to fear. Follow me. This is Home.

Michael didn't know how to counter Lucifer's argument to the Host. And even he had fallen to Lucifer's manipulations, how could he possibly fight him without picking up a sword. He staggered against a stone wall, blind in the dark and deaf to all but Lucifer's words.

His fingers felt the cold of the granite, the rough texture where chisel and hammer carved away rock, grit on his fingertips, smelt snow in the air. Even here, in the ruined aerie, could he find Father's works. Father, he realized, and remembered.

Home, light and song around him, joy flowing in him and through him.

He reached out with one hand until he touched a shoulder. A lieutenant of Gabriel by the feel and cut of the leather. He lightly touched their forehead with fingertips, and projected the song he heard, the light he saw, and the joy he felt. The other angel started, then also remembered.

Love, love everywhere, love filled every memory, love filled every part of his soul. Home.

One by one, the Host remembered, the faithful and the fallen.

Lucifer fell silent.

Light rent darkness and the Host chose.

Father's presence filled Michael. Lucifer, now snarling, reached for his sword and unfurled his wings, the sound unlovely against the song. Michael's skin became radiant, his lost knives in his hands. His wings snapped open, crackled like lightning, thunder sounded in the distance.

Lucifer jumped toward him, impossibly fast, but Michael met him in midair. Sword rang against knives. The impact propelled Lucifer out of the hall and against the mountain, Michael following. Gabriel and Uriel fell towards the two like meteors on fire.


	4. Chapter 4 - Flight to Vega

Dominion by torontokid2003

 _This fic is now out of order. 1, then 4, then 2 and 3. Given Michael looks like death warmed over in the final episode, I wondered how he would make it back to Vega, and what Vega would think about Gabriel reappearing in the middle of an attack by Delphi._

Chapter 4 _Flight to Vega_

Half of the way on their frantic flight from Mallory to Vega, Michael faltered. Gabriel, in flight behind and slightly above his twin, saw Michael's wings flutter then fold. As Michael fought to remain airborne, Gabriel folded his own wings and when he came under Michael, spread them wide and soared up. Michael fell, Gabriel twisted himself so he could see Michael above him and caught Michael around his waist. He used momentum of the impact to right them both.

Excellent, he congratulated himself, no other could have duplicated that feat!

Gabriel looked down at his brother. Michael's eyes closed, wings still open. Sleep little brother, he thought as he continued his flight to Vega and Alex Lannon.

Gabriel arrived at Vega, and glided around the city. Fires burned beneath him, the occasional gun fired, cries from the the lower orders chittered from the dark. A line of rubble divided the city in two. House Riesen was lit so brightly it almost glowed. Numerous figures surrounded the tower, vehicles clustered around them, then more figures. Ah, he thought, Delphi has the tower but Vega's guards have them surrounded. He looked for a likely spot to land himself and his brother.

A concussive blast lit the sky around him. He almost dropped Michael from the shock. He folded his wings and landed in the middle of whatever wasn't a cluster of armed soldiers.

He gathered his wings around himself, Michael dropped at his feet. "Step away from the Archangel!" rang out a single voice, then others repeated up the call. Gunshots bounced off his wings. How was he supposed to step away from himself, he wondered? Oh, he realized and looked down at Michael, prone on the ground, wings splayed out. He kicked his brother with a toe. Michael groaned, curled up onto his side, and gathered a wing over himself. Searchlights lit them both.

Gabriel swore to himself. Michael looked like hell, and Vega would take one look at the state of their Archangel and decide Gabriel was responsible. "Michael?" The curled up nestling of feathers didn't even so much as twitch. So much for Father's Holy Sword. "He's not my fault!" he called out. He peeked above his wings and raise his arms tentatively. "Let's be reasonable!" Gunfire answered him. "Where's Alex Lannon? I'll surrender only to him!" He looked down at Michael. "Michael! Do something!"

"STEP THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE FUCKING ARCHANGEL!" called out many voices, then a concussive blast separated him from his twin.


	5. Chapter 5 - Mofo

Dominion by torontokid2003

 _In the early days of the Eviction War, I wondered what a meeting between Michael and soldiers on the run might look like. Apologies to anyone military who reads this and thinks it's completely mucked up._

 _Warning: Language_

Chapter Five _Mofo_

The twelve soldiers hauled ass across the desert, humping weapons, MREs, med kits and water on their backs. At the base of a small hill they stopped.

Fred-O reached for his canteen and took a drink. "Shit, shit, shit. You see anyone up ahead?"

JT collapsed in a heap beside him. "No. Trailer two klicks ahead."

Other members of their platoon - newly formed from the remains of the base - sat down beside them as they reached the hill. "What the fuck happened back there?"

"More of those people," said Adam.

"No shit," replied Fred-O. Shit was his favourite word.

"What the hell was that bad-ass mofo with the wings?" panted Stoned, the last to arrive.

"Mofo saved your life," pointed out Adam.

"My M4 saved my life!"

"Would you two girls keep it down?" snapped the sergeant. "Anyone black yet?" Hands rummaged through supplies. "One of those people called Mofo a 'theeagis'?"

"Dhiagis, Sarge?" Fred-O asked.

"Archangel."

The voice came from behind and above them. Weapons snapped up. Wings snapped out and bullets bounced off feathers. Fucking feathers, thought the sergeant as his heart beat a tattoo. "Cease fire, cease fire!" he called. Behind him, soldiers moved towards whatever looked like cover. "Mofo, what the fuck do you want?"

"Michael. You're going the wrong way."

"'Scuse me?"

"The name is Michael, not Mofo. You will go that way." Mofo spoke each word as if to children and pointed in the opposite direction they'd been travelling in.

"Fuck you, Mofo," someone called.

Mofo smiled. "There is a militia gathering in Las Vegas. You will join it." He launched himself into the sky and was rapidly out of sight.

"Oh my fucking God, was that the fucking Archangel fucking Michael?" It was the most intelligent thing Squid said all day.


	6. Chapter 6 - Wilful Blindness

Dominion

by torontokid2003

Chapter 6 _Wilful Blindness_

Claire paced in the room. She didn't look at the guardsman.

"Radar confirmed the flights of both Archangels out of the city. M-Michael left first, Ma'am. Tracker in his coat indicated he went east," he said quietly. He cleared his voice and continued louder, "Gabriel flew north, Ma'am."

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Thank you." The guard bowed. "Dismiss most of the protective detail. I don't need the extra guards."

"Yes Ma'am." As he turned and left the room, he indicated to several of the guards in the hallway. She turned to the window.

She never should have listened to David Wheele. If Gabriel was executed the hour he surrendered, he wouldn't have had the chance to kill Becca in Lab Two. Michael must be so upset at losing her, she thought.

Michael left first, she thought, then ruthlessly quashed it. The city couldn't afford to lose Michael, she couldn't afford to lose Becca's vote in the Senate. Gabriel did this. This was Gabriel's fault.

She should never have listened to David Wheele.


	7. Chapter 7 - Dragons

Dominion

by torontokid2003

 _This chapter is entirely batty, and I fully admit it, but this plotbunny wouldn't leave me alone until I posted it. And if anyone would like to adopt any of the plotbunnies in this series, pllllllllease do. They keep gnawing on my ankles when I least expect it, and it would be lovely to see 'em leav... ahem, it would be very kind of you to take one or two of 'em on.  
_

Chapter 7

"Alex," Lucifer quietly said. He looked around with bemusement. "I really have no idea what Michael sees in your kind. You are a murdering, polluting, jealous, gluttinous pack of warring ants. Put more than three of you together around a fire and in less than 60 minutes you start to quarrel. In less than a day you compete with each other. Add in the right motivation and you start to kill each other. And yet Michael loves you." He waved an arm in the air. "And it's not just because Father told him to. He actually loves the lot of you." He shook his head. "I do not understand why."

Alex blinked at this bit of information. A pair of boots walked into his vision.

"If you so much as look at Michael funny, I swear I will end you," Alex threatened. "The dragon" continued to press his entire body into the cold sand. He knew the dragon wasn't there, he could see tiny bushes still upright despite several tons of dragonflesh sitting on them, but knowing it was all an illusion didn't help him sit up. And it wasn't doing wonders for his temper.

Lucifer laughed, a genuine noise of amusement. He crouched down and looked into Alex's eyes. "Alex, Alex," he chortled. "You came the closest to outright killing him, did you know?" Cold unease settled into Alex's stomach. New Delphi hadn't been his finest hour. "And you're hardly in a position to follow through with any threats," he laughed again. "No, Alex, I won't kill Michael. I promise you that."

Lucifer stood up and began to pace through a dragon's forearm. "I don't want him dead. No, Alex. I'm going to take him from Father. I'm going to take Father's most loyal son. I'll take His Sword, His General, the one who loved Him the most, and make him mine," he giggled to himself. "I will make Michael kneel of his own free will to me, I will make him love me. He will forget Father altogether." He looked at Alex as he paced. "It won't be easy. I'll need to do everything Father hasn't. I'll tend to this world. I'll even look after you ants. Everything Michael loves, I will love. His ambitions will be my ambitions. After awhile, he'll look to me for help. He'll come to me for comfort, for shelter from the storm. He'll look to me for wisdom. Yes," he said. "It will be easy, it will just take a long time, that's all. When Father returns He will see Michael bowing at MY feet," he said to himself. "And then I will gut Michael before Him."

The tattoo that remained moved, and Alex felt a fury not of his own fill him. Alex ground his teeth together. "He won't. He won't ever bow to you. You killed his daughter. He won't ever forgive that. I won't forgive that!"

Lucifer's eyes sparked and he bared his teeth. "I had no choice! Gabriel almost annihilated everything! If I hadn't resurrected when I did, there would be nothing left!" he shouted into Alex's face, suddenly close.

"You are a monster!" shouted Alex.

"Shhh, shhh." Lucifer stroked Alex's hair. "Sleep. Sleep now, and forget. Forget. Michael still has you, Chosen One. So long as you live, everything will work out. Sleep."


	8. Chapter 8 - War

Dominion

by torontokid2003

 _Sometimes battles aren't fought on a battlefield, but quietly at home._

Chapter 8 _War_

Michael's face was flushed with fever as he lay still under the blanket and barely breathed. An infection of some sorts, Lucifer thought. Michael looked far older than he should. His face lined, his body impossibly thin. Lucifer didn't know what he thought about it. Was he worried for his younger brother? Triumphant at the impending death of the one he always disliked? He always perceived Michael to be his enemy, yet Michael had never issued the killing blow that was well within Michael's ability to issue.

It was Michael who found Annise, Lucifer's rebellious daughter, in the desert. He'd taken her into his care, become a mentor to her during the year she went missing. She was married now, with a child of three, and now spoke to her father. If she didn't speak with the adoration that others gave him, she at least wasn't as hostile as she once was. And when he asked her why, she'd only say one word: Michael.

So he'd hunted down his younger brother. His brother the Sword of God. The truly dangerous one, the one Lucifer feared only slightly less than his father. He and a cohort of his best soldiers spent almost a year tracking every rumour of the Archangel of Vegas. They found him alone, a mile from a small village, propped up against a rock. Instead of the violent confrontation they prepared months for, the cohort's medic had quietly walked up to the hunched over figure, tapped him on a shoulder, and then had his arms full as Michael collapsed. He and his soldiers were furious over the risk the medic took.

The medic looked over at him and said what he already knew. "It's up to him, now."

"I should call you ' _Trial of Father_ '," Lucifer muttered to himself, "instead of brother." His medics had considerable skills as healers, but his own were far superior. He walked over to his brother, prone on the cot. The medic quickly backed away. A single flame danced along Lucifer's index finger, then caught the edge of Michael's hand.

* * *

"Why did you help her? he asked. Instead of leaving Annise to die in the desert. Instead of leaving her to the mercy of his enemies. Instead of taking revenge for the loss of his own daughter?

Michael looked up at him, still pale and thin. Vulnerable. Lucifer hadn't completely healed him, he wasn't that much of a fool. "Family."

"Eat your toast," he snapped and stalked off.

* * *

Michael refused to look up at him, face stern and demeanor serious. It was an impressive feat considering War - a nickname given by the local cohorts - wore a pretty string of pearls, a frilled skirt around his trousered waist, and white gloves on his fingers.

"I won," shrilled the voice of his grand-daughter. "You can wear the yellow bow!"

To the side of the two sat the child-sized table, chairs, cloth, and a tiny tea set filled with ... actual, honest to goodness tea. How had his grand-daughter got her tiny mittens on tea? he wondered. Michael ducked his head in submission to the four year. Two hands grabbed his hair and tried to smooth short strands into a pigtail.

"I won, granddad! I beat him at tripping!"

"Michael?" he asked. But he already knew the answer. The deceptive, cunning nuisance had combined tea parties with the self defence instruction his grand-daughter loathed.


End file.
